Dunkirk, Texas

Some of you may have seen the movie "Dunkirk." This Christopher Nolan film recounts an event in World War II history that I, quite frankly, was unfamiliar with. In May 1940, German troops had pushed Allied troops right up to the beaches at Dunkirk on the French coast. It's estimated that over 300,000 soldiers were trapped between the powerful German army and the sea. Evacuating 300 thousand plus troops with the limited naval resources available seemed an impossible feat.

Winston Churchill, the new prime minister, ordered the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Lord Gort, to evacuate as many British troops as possible. And so Operation Dynamo was initiated, led by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. A call was put out for as many seagoing vessels as could be found to cross the channel and aid in the evacuation. It was estimated that only 45,000 could be evacuated in 48 hours. 933 vessels were involved in the rescue, 700 of which were "little boats" with civilians at the helm. British boat captains responded in private yachts, motor launches, lifeboats, paddle steamers, and barges. Regular civilians came with whatever they had to rescue the soldiers stranded at Dunkirk. Even a 14-ft open top fishing boat was involved in the rescue efforts. That boat now is on display in the the Imperial War Museum.

Over 8 days, 338,226 allied troops were rescued from the beaches at Dunkirk.

Reuters image

Watching the weather situation in Texas yesterday as a result of Hurricane Harvey, I couldn't help but be reminded of the events dramatized in the Dunkirk movie. The Weather Channel and other news coverage showed the efforts of regular citizens using every manner of floating device to rescue their neighbors from the rising floodwaters.

Boston Globe image

I saw canoes, kayaks, rafts, jon boats, jet skis, air boats, pontoon boats, bass boats... just about anything that would float... brought to the aid of stranded neighbors. These people were strangers last week but are strangers no more.

Dunkirk is a port town in France. But, I think this week it is a city in Texas. Prayers for all those in southeast Texas and other parts of the gulf area affected by this catastrophic storm.